Elsevier

Nutrition

Volume 85, May 2021, 111138
Nutrition

Applied nutritional investigation
Determination of interest in vitamin use during COVID-19 pandemic using Google Trends data: Infodemiology study

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nut.2020.111138Get rights and content

Highlights

  • Public interest in vitamins can be investigated using Google Trends.

  • Interest in vitamins is subject to marked annual variation.

  • CoOVID-19 pandemic increased interest in vitamins.

Abstract

Objective

The aim of this study was to determine the interest in vitamin use during the COVID-19 pandemic usıng Google Trends data.

Method

Searches were made between January 1, 2016 and August 30, 2020. First, the word “vitamin” was searched. Additionally, the search words "vitamin,” “COVID-19,” “immunity,” and Vitamin D,” “Vitamin C,” “Vitamin E,” and “Vitamin A” were searched comparatively. Search was made in Turkish (in Turkey) and English (in world). Additionally, the word “vitamin” was translated into some countries’ languages and was searched. Relative search volumes (RSVs) obtained in searches are presented with graphics. RSVs, downloaded as .csv were transferred to SPSS. Descriptive data was given as numbers and percentages. Kruskal-Wallis analysis was used to determine the difference of RSVs according to years and seasons. Additionally, queries arising related to search words were presented.

Results

Findings from the present study determined that the trend toward vitamins reached 100 RSVs in March 2020, when COVID-19 was declared a pandemic. Vitamins D and C were the most frequently searched vitamin types in Turkey and worldwide. It was determined that searches consisting of a combination of COVID-19 and vitamins were made.

Conclusion

Vitamins attract public interest globally. Seasonal variation and COVID-19 shaped the popularity of vitamins both worldwide and in Turkey. The search frequency was highest in the autumn and spring, but the largest search related to all search terms was determined to be in March 2020. Interest in vitamins has increased since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Keywords

COVID-19
Google Trends
Vitamins
Immunity

Cited by (0)

S.Ç. and D.Y.G. were responsible for the study design and manuscript preparation. S.Ç. was responsible for the interpretation of data. The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

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